USGA Members Program To Partner With ESPN Golf Schools


February 1, 2008
E-mail address: mediarelations@usga.org

Far Hills, N.J. – The United States Golf Association is pleased to announce a new partnership with the ESPN Golf Schools, presented by American Express, that will offer special rates and benefits to USGA Members.

ESPN Golf Schools, which were launched in 2003, provide instruction for golfers of all ages and abilities at premier golf courses and facilities around the country. The programs consist of three-day resort schools and one-day touring schools for adults and juniors at more than 50 sites across the U.S.

As a result of the partnership between the USGA and ESPN Golf Schools, a discounted rate of $375 will be exclusively offered to USGA Members for an education-only version of each one-day touring school:

• 3-Club Tour™ – Visiting more than 50 U.S. cities, this one-day program focuses on three clubs: driver, putter and wedge. 
• The Power Tour^® – A one-day program that aims to help students hit the golf ball farther by applying the key elements of fitness and flexibility, custom club fitting, customized ball prescription and swing mechanics. 
• Beginners Tour^® – A one-day introduction to the game of golf that provides basic instruction for novices, including grip, posture, scoring, golf etiquette and other fundamentals. 

"We’re very excited to announce this new benefit to USGA Members," said Fiona Dolan, director of the USGA Members Program. "Many of our Members have indicated that a top priority is the desire to improve their game. We believe this partnership with ESPN Golf Schools will give our Members better access to useful instructional tools such as swing assessment and Rules and etiquette education."

For more information on ESPN Golf Schools, presented by American Express, including a list of sites and dates for 2008, visit www.espngolfschools.com/usga.

The USGA Members Program is designed to give golfers the opportunity to take an active role in preserving and protecting the game of golf. More than 900,000 individuals currently support the USGA through their membership. For more information about the USGA Members Program, visit https://members.usga.org.

The USGA is the national governing body of golf in this country and Mexico, a combined territory that includes more than half the world’s golfers and golf courses.

The Association's most visible role is played out each season in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open. Ten additional USGA national championships are exclusively for amateurs, and include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women's Amateur.

The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, funds research for better turf and a better environment, maintains a Handicap System and administers an ongoing "For the Good of the Game" grants program, which has allocated more than $58 million over 11 years to programs that seek to grow the game. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.